Indian Railways has expanded solar adoption across its network, with 2,626 railway stations currently using solar power. The government stated that the broad deployment is helping the Railways reduce energy costs, while supporting a gradual shift towards cleaner and more sustainable operations.
The pace of addition has climbed up in the current financial year as well. As per PIB, 318 stations were added to the solar network up to November, thus the total number of solar-powered stations is 2,626. The Railway Ministry described this development as part of a wider effort to meet growing energy needs in a cleaner manner.
Solar capacity surges
The Indian Railways has commissioned 898 MV of solar power for operations by November 2025, a sharp increase from 3.68 MV in 2024. An expansion of around 244 times in comparison to the 2014 level.
Of this commissioned capacity, 629 MV, around 70% is being utilised for traction purposes, which is directly supporting electric train operations. The remaining 269 MV is being utilised for non-traction requirements, including station lighting, railway quarters and service buildings.
The government, as stated by PIB, believes that this split between traction and non-traction usage lowers dependence on conventional power sources. It also improves overall operational efficiency while building energy security for the Railways.
Net-zero Carbon Emissions push
The solar installations across stations, railway land and buildings are helping Indian Railways meet its energy demands cleanly and sustainably. By the adoption of these measures, decarbonisation goals can also be supported, and it will also align with Indian Railways’ commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon Commission by 2030.
Meanwhile, the Indian Railways’ Vande Bharat Express, launched in February 2019, has expanded significantly. At present, 164 services are connecting major cities across the country. As per an IANS report, more than 7.5 crore passengers have travelled on Vande Bharat services since 2019.
The solar scale-up and traction-linked consumption underlines how Indian Railways is increasingly interlinking clean-energy deployment with day-to-day operations.